Happier

I initially intended to ride up to Half Moon Bay from Santa Cruz last Saturday. The ocean breeze typically picks up significantly in the afternoon, and the usual tactic for local cyclists is to go north in the morning and ride the tailwind for the return trip.

My really late start meant I was fighting 25 MPH headwinds once I got north of Swift Street on the coast highway. By itself that’s not much fun, but I was also getting blasted from blowing beach sand. Once I got to Wilder Ranch, I abruptly changed my plans and veered inland onto sandy mountain bike trails, where I had a blast.

After the end of my Wilder Ranch road bike adventures, I ran into Paul from Sacramento with his Surly Long Haul Trucker. He travels with that California road atlas because he likes to explore fire and logging roads by bike.

Glen Bottoms, Executive Director of The American Conservative Center for Public Transportation, writes to support governmental cycling investment in The American Conservative: Hitchhikers Indeed. H/T to Kent.